[03/01/14 - 09:03 AM]"Hannibal" Tops Last Season's Finale by 0.3 of a Point, Beats or Matches Last Nine Telecasts from Last SeasonNBC spins the numbers for Friday, February 28.

[via press release from NBC]

Friday Primetime Results:

· The season-two debut of "Hannibal" (1.1/4 in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) grew 0.3 of a point or 38% versus last season's finale in adults 18-49 (1.1/4 vs. 0.8/2 from 10:01-11 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, 2013) and was up 69% in total viewers (3.354 million vs. 1.982 million). "Hannibal" matched NBC's non-sports season average in the time period (1.1, L+SD). In the time slot, "Hannibal" is #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in men 18-34 (with a 1.1 rating).

· The 1.1 rating in 18-49 tops "Hannibal's" final five episodes from last season and matches or beats its final nine telecasts for that season. The 1.1 equals "Hannibal's" top rating since last season's third telecast on April 18, 2013 (1.4/4) and the 3.354 million viewers overall is "Hannibal's" biggest total-viewership since that same date (3.507 million).

· L+7 Time-Shifting: "Hannibal" was a heavily time-shifted series last season, growing by an average 82% going from its next-day "live plus same day" rating (1.1) to "live plus seven days" (2.0).

· With its first telecast in five weeks, "Grimm" (1.4/5 in 18-49, 5.2 million viewers overall from 9-10:01 p.m. ET) finished within a tenth of a rating point of its prior episode (1.5 on Jan. 24). In the time period, "Grimm" is tied as the top Big 4 scripted program and is the slot's #1 scripted show outright on those networks in adults 18-34 and all key adult-male demos.

· "Grimm" is currently tied as the #1 scripted program of the night on the Big 4 with CBS's "Hawaii Five-0" and "Blue Bloods" (1.4 rating each).

· L+7 Time-Shifting: Note that "Grimm" is a heavily time-shifted series, with the prior telecast on Jan. 24 increasing by 77% going from these next-day L+SD ratings to L+7 (from a 1.54 to a 2.73).

· With its first telecast in four weeks, "Dateline NBC" (1.3/5 in 18-49, 6.2 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) grew 8% versus its prior edition in 18-49 rating (1.3 vs. 1.2 on Jan. 31) and was up 3% in total viewers (6.221 million vs. 6.014 million). In the time period, "Dateline" was #2 or tied for #2 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in most key measures, including adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers, and was #1 among those nets in women 18-34.

· At 12:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" equaled its highest rating since Monday's premiere, averaging a 2.2 rating, 7 share in household results from the 56 markets metered by Nielsen Media Research, best since the 2.6/9 for the show's Feb. 24 debut. The Friday "Late Night" delivered a night-to-night gain of 29% versus Thursday's 1.7/6 and was also up 38% versus "Late Night's" season average (2.2 vs. 1.6, L+SD prior to this week).

· Excluding the final Jimmy Fallon "Late Night" on Feb. 7, last night's 2.2 matches the top rating for a Friday "Late Night" in metered-market households in four years (since Feb. 12, 2010, the night of the Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremony, 2.5).

· "Late Night's" 2.2/7 topped the time-slot competition of ABC's "Nightline" (1.3/4 for the first half-hour of the time period) and CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/4 for the full hour).

· "Fast official" ratings for "Tonight" and "Late Night" are expected later today.